VOLUNTEER TOOLKIT USER GUIDE:

Caregiver/Parent

The Volunteer Toolkit (VTK)

is your digital key to all the

amazing things your girl will

experience this year! With

this step-by-step guide, you’ll

stay up to date with your

girl’s achievements and

discover how you

can make an impact!

VOLUNTEER TOOLKIT USER GUIDE: Caregiver/Parent

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

▶ Who Has Access | 2

▶ Where to Find the Volunteer Toolkit | 3

▶ Navigating the Volunteer Toolkit | 3

▶ Questions? | 5

Who Has Access

SERVICE UNIT MANAGERS

Volunteers who hold a service unit or administrative role and

support troop leaders and families in their respective geographical

area. Access is granted through the council based on placement in

designated support roles.

TROOP LEADERSHIP TEAM

Active volunteers registered for the current Girl Scout membership

year in a troop leadership role. There should be at least two

volunteers with access to the same troop account in the VTK.

CAREGIVERS OF GIRL SCOUTS IN A TROOP

Each primary caregiver has viewing access to their troop’s VTK account.

They have read-only permission for the meeting schedule and agendas,

plus additional resources. (Caregiver accounts can only be accessed if

the troop leader has set up a year plan.)

CAREGIVERS OF GIRL SCOUTS NOT IN A TROOP (I.E., INDIVIDUALLY REGISTERED MEMBERS)

Each primary caregiver of a currently registered Girl Scout who is not

part of a troop will get troop leader-like access with their girl(s).

Access is granted through the council based on confirmation of

individually registered status.

© 2019 Girl Scouts of the USA.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

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or mechanical methods, including photocopying, recording, or by

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now known or hereinafter invented, without the prior written

permission of Girl Scouts of the United States of America, except in

the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain

other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For

permissions requests, write to Girl Scouts of the United States

of America at the address below or visit the www.girlscouts.org

website to access permission request forms.

First published in 2019 by

Girl Scouts of the United States of America

420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018-2798

www.girlscouts.org

TIP: If you hold multiple roles, you’ll have a Volunteer Toolkit

account for each—all under one login! Look for the grey dropdown

box in the upper left-hand corner of your screen to navigate between

accounts.

VOLUNTEER TOOLKIT USER GUIDE: Caregiver/Parent

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Where to Find the Volunteer Toolkit

The Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) can be used from any computer, tablet, or

smartphone with internet access. For best results, use a VTK-friendly

browser such as Chrome or Firefox with a cleared cache and visit

www.girlscoutssa.org

In the upper right-hand corner of your screen, click MY GS.

Select Volunteer Toolkit to login using the credentials provided by

the council.

NOTE: The VTK does not work on Internet Explorer.

Navigating the Volunteer Toolkit

Welcome to the Volunteer Toolkit! Your girl is about to take part in

tons of exciting activities and new experiences this year—and we’ve

outlined everything you need to know to keep up with the fun.

The Volunteer Toolkit is divided into tabs to help you see what’s

happening in your troop meetings. If you’re on a computer, you’ll see

the GREEN TABS across the top of your browser window.

Mobile users will see a grey dropdown menu at the top of their screen,

with tabs beneath.

TIP: Print – Download – Help

You’ll notice these three icons on almost every

page of the VTK.

Print your current screen by clicking the

green printer icon.

Download the page or resource by clicking

the green down-arrow bracket icon.

Seek out additional help by clicking the

green question mark icon OR by clicking

the binoculars next to Take a Guided Tour.

NOTE: Not all councils have a FINANCES tab.

Before we get started: The

caregiver/parent view of the VTK

only works if the troop leader has

set up a year plan. If they haven’t,

when you log in you’ll see this

message: Hello! Your girl’s troop

leader has not yet set up the troop’s

year plan. Please contact the troop

leader for more info on their use of

the Volunteer Toolkit.

VOLUNTEER TOOLKIT USER GUIDE: Caregiver/Parent

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MY TROOP ▶

In this tab, you’ll find your Girl Scout’s personal information, along with

her meeting attendance and all the awards she’s earned throughout the

year.

NOTE: Do you have girls in different troops? Access each one

from the gray dropdown menu at the top of your screen.

YEAR PLAN ▶

From this tab, you can view meeting dates/locations/topics and

preview badge requirements.

The dates that are in green, yellow, or grey are all regular Girl Scout

meetings. Yellow represents the next meeting, and grey shows that a

meeting has passed.

Throughout the year, you’ll sometimes see orange bars that notify

you of council-wide events, Girl Scout shop promotions, and other

important dates.

You’ll also see rotating banners on the top of the screen to let you know

about Girl Scout partnerships and promotions. Tired of seeing them?

Just click the “X.”

On the YEAR PLAN tab, you might also see other types of events and

activities that your troop is planning to participate in. These will show

up in blue on your year plan and represent special events outside of the

regular meetings. Click them to find out any details your troop leaders have

shared.

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MEETING PLAN ▶

Get the scoop on any meeting throughout her troop year! Here you’ll

find details like suggested scripts, material lists, printable meeting

aids, and a dynamic meeting schedule.

Miss a meeting? You can see what your girl missed and work with her to

make up any award requirements.

The MEETING PLAN tab is also a great place to find opportunities to

get involved with your girl’s troop.

▶ Do you have a skill or expertise you can share? Look ahead to see

how you can help the troop earn a badge or complete an activity.

▶ Short on time? You might purchase or donate an item on the

material list, or even offer to bring a snack that coincides with the

meeting’s theme.

No matter how you contribute, both your troop leader and your Girl

Scout will appreciate your effort!

RESOURCES ▶

The RESOURCES tab has tons of information to help you support your

girl throughout her Girl Scout year! You’ll find helpful tools to show you

where to put badges and pins on her uniform, explore awards she

might be interested in earning, and even see the exciting things that

await her as she progresses in Girl Scouting. You can also make her

experience more meaningful by helping her learn Girl Scout traditions

or connecting those traditions to your faith.

FINANCES The FINANCES tab is used to submit Troop End of The Year Financial

Reports to the council These reports are due in the May/June

timeframe. The tab is available to service unit managers for

demonstrative purposes only; troop leadership teams have full

functionality, while troop caregivers have a read-only view.

Questions?

Looking for more Volunteer Toolkit support? Contact Customer Care

at customercare@girlscoutssa.org.